On Sunday, April 9, 2023, riders will take on the Hell of the North – Paris-Roubaix on a route that is 256.6 kilometres long with 29 sections of cobblestone roads totalling 54.5 kilometres of suffering.
Organisers ASO, who also put on the Tour de France, have made only minor alterations to the route of previous years for the 120th running of the race.
Paris-Roubaix starts as it has since 1977 in Compiègne, 80km northeast of Paris. Riders have almost 100 kilometres to cover before the first section of cobbles in Troisvilles, this year number 29.
The main changes come just down the road after the sector from Vertain to Saint Martin-sur-Écaillon (25). The route bypasses the pavé at Haussy and the stretch from Saulzoir to Verchain Maugrés (sectors 25 and 24 last year), heading instead straight to the Verchain Maugré to Quérénaing sector.
Then, after the Maing to Monchaux-sur-Écaillon sector (last year’s 21), the race deviates to Haspres to take on a sector there at kilometre 139.6.
Not seen since 2004, Haspres hosts a 1,700 metre stretch of “road” which, the last time it was used was classified as a 4-star sector, only one star below the three hardest: the Trouée d’Arenberg (km 161.3), Mons-en-Pévèle (km 208) and the Carrefour de l’Arbre (km 239.5).
Once riders exit the Haspres sector, they’ll hit the Haveluy sector en route to Wallers and the infamous Trouée d’Arenberg, sector 19.
The 2.3km Arenberg forest sector is one of the hardest stretches of cobbles in the cycling world and is typically the site of the first major attacks.
The rest of the route is the same as in previous years, with the five-star sector at Mons-en-Pévèle and Carrefour de l’Arbre the most decisive.
In Paris-Roubaix, the leading group is almost always set by the departure from the Carrefour de l’Arbre with less than 20km to go and two minor sections of pavé before the closing one-and-a-half laps around the Velodrome André Pétrieux in Roubaix and its grassy infield, the perfect place for riders to collapse after a taxing day on the bike.
2023 Paris-Roubaix cobbled sectors
| Sector | Name |
|---|---|
| 29 | Troisvilles to Inchy |
| 28 | Viesly to Quiévy |
| 27 | Quiévy to Saint-Python |
| 26 | Saint-Python |
| 25 | Vertain to Saint-Martin-sur-Écaillon |
| 24 | Verchain-Maugré to Quérénaing |
| 23 | Quérénaing to Maing |
| 22 | Maing to Monchaux-sur-Ecaillon |
| 21 | Haspres |
| 20 | Haveluy to Wallers |
| 19 | Trouée d’Arenberg |
| 18 | Wallers to Hélesmes |
| 17 | Hornaing to Wandignies |
| 16 | Warlaing… |
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